hutchinson



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I (No Model.)

W. N. HUTGHINSON.

ROTARY ENGINE. I No. 402,834. Patented May 7. 1889.

N. PETERS. Phawumu n her, wzuhington, DJ;

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(.No Model.)

W. N. HUTOHINSON. ROTARY ENGINE. No. 402,834. Patented May 7, 1889..

IQIWJaL I QAML. w

N. PETERS. Phololjthognpiwr. Washington [1 r.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. N. HUTOHINSON. ROTARY ENGINE.

No. 402,834; Patented May 7. 1889.

35 other non-conducting material.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM. NELSON HUTOHINSON, OF SILVERDALE, EASTBOURNE, COUNTY OF SUSSEX, ENGLAND.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,834, dated May '7, 1889.

Application filed October 15, 1888. Serial No. 288,095. (No model.) Patented in England June 9,1888, No. 8,468.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM NELSON HUToHINsoN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at The Lodge, Silverdale,

5 Eastbourne, in the county of Sussex, England,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 8,468, of June 9, 1888,) of which the follow- IO ing is a specification.

This, invention relates to that class of rotary engines in which there is a ring-shaped chamher in which works a piston or slide carried by an arm pivoted at the center of the ring;

I5 and the improvements relate especially to means of obtaining steam -tight joints, of avoiding friction especially in the travel of the piston and disk, to which it is a fixture, and rendering the workin g of the engine steady. Figure 1 is atransverse section, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section, of an engine constructed according to my invention. Fig. 3 shows a portion of Fig. 2 to a larger scale. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3, showing alternative 2 5 method of making a steam-tight joint around the disk. Figs. 5 and 6 are sections of the piston. Fig. 7 shows the method of introducing oil into the annular chamber.

a is the annular chamber. Its wall is made double, as shown. The space betweembeing filled with steam, keeps the interior hot. The steam may be introduced through a pipe, a, and withdrawn through a pipe, a The exterior is preferably covered with wood, felt, or

Concentric with the annular chamber is a thin disk, I), fixed to the axle c.

d is the piston,which works in the annular chamber a. It is fixed to the disk b.

40 e is the drop-valve, f the discharging-opening, and g the receiving-opening.

On steam being admitted through the opening g it forces the piston d round in the annular space a, causing the disk I) and axle c to revolve. The steam is cut off before the piston d reaches the discharging-opening f, and as it passes it the drop-valve c is raised out of its way by means of a cam upon the axle c, the valve descending again immedi- 5o ately the piston has passed it. Steam is then again admitted through the receiving-opening g, and the rotation of the piston and axle continues. The details of the parts for working the valve and opening and closing the openings are not shown in the drawings, as they form no part of my invention and are well known in connection with engines of this class.

The piston is shown to alarger scale at Figs.

5 and 6. It consists of two plates, h and 7t, the former being fixed to the disk 1). Between these two plates are packing-blocks Z, which are forced outward by spiral springs, as shown clearly in Fig. 6, which is a section on the line Y Y, Fig. 5. Steam is prevented from escaping at the joint where the disk I) enters the annular chamber a by means of hemp packing contained in grooves m m, lubricated by oil forced through apertures in the encircling pipes 19, Figs. 2 and 3; or in place of hemp metal packing-rings forced outward by springs may be employed and be similarly lubricated. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 4.

The drop-valve works in a casing attached to the annular chamber, the only opening to the air being kept closed by a stuffing-box, through which the valve-rod passes. As shown, the valve is of larger diameter than the annular chamber and enters a groove taken in the wall. When the valve is in its lowest position, the entering steam forces it steam-tight against the rear side (as it may be termed) of the groove. It is of less width than that of the packing-rings of the piston, so that the whole can pass smoothly over it. Immediately the pressure ceases the valve, being no longer pressed against the groove, can readily be moved, and is lifted. by its rod into the recess a.

The center of the drop-valve is made thicker than the edges, so as to give the necessary stiffness. The disk is thin and just does not touch the chamber a. The friction-wheels 0 only touch it and prevent lateral movement. Half of number of wheels press against each side of the disk. They are fixed outside the frame, as represented. So little is the interval between the disk and the frame that the greased packing easily keeps all steam-tight.

In Fig. 7, q is one of the pipes for supply- I00 ing oil to the annular chamber. This pipe leads to a pipe, q, entering the annular space;

' the thin disk I), projecting through a slot in the annular chamber a, the piston (Z, secured to the disk and located within the annular chamber, the valve-chamber n, the slide-Valve e, steam entrance and exit ports on each side of the Valve 6, the packing around the slot in the annular chamber, through which the disk 7') extends, and the steadying' -wheels 0, ar-

ranged on opposite sides of the disk outside 20 of the annular chamber and near the edge or periphery of the disk.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the annular chamber a, the disk I), the piston (l, secured thereon, the oil-supply pipes q q, and the piston 1', adapted to close the pipe q to stop the flow of oil to the annular chamber when it is filled with steam, but to allow the flow of oil thereto when the steam is exhausted.

WILLIAM NELSON HUTCHINSON.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES ,GOBLE CHAMPION, lvotm'y Public, Eastbouwze.

FREDERICK BOALE, Clerk to life-939's. Chcmlpion d2 Sons, Solicitors, Eastbom'ne. 

